3-3.5*

This was a pleasant contemporary romance that explores the fiery relationship between Lucy and Jack, set into the stunning backdrop of Oxford. Though overall this was an enjoyable read, I wish that there'd been more depth and motivation to Lucy and less drama between the characters. I appreciate the enemies to lovers trope, but sometimes find myself wishing for a little bit more when authors fall into this type of storytelling.

What I did love in this book was the body positivity, which wasn't brought into the book as a point of tension or controversy but instead celebrated and appreciated, particularly by Jack!

Firstly thank you to publishers for granting me this title!

Oxford Star by Laura Bradbury revolves around Jack - a star musician and singer with fame and success who suffers mentally, and Lucy - his ex girlfriend and partner who was abandoned by Jack just before their audition.

Oxford Star shows many realities to attention and a life of fame. Jack jumps on a plane to Oxford where he tries to put himself back together and regain stable mentality and Lucy is the one sitting next to him on the plane after two years without seeing one another.

I was intrigued - the unknown grudge and reason, the forced proximity and second chance. Overall a well written romance with a good subplot of representation and a good flow throughout. Whilst there was parts of the story that lacked detail and plot, it was overall a good quick romance. The writing wasn't necessarily for me, hence the rating, but still a good book.

2.5 stars.

Jack's panic attacks are written very realistically. I think he was a jerk to Lucy throughout, who deserves better than him. Their fake dating is entertaining and leads to a HEA. I liked Lucy. I think the editing could've been better because a shorter text would've really sealed the appeal that comes with the cover. Overall, it's a great romance book.

I really wanted to like this book, I loved Loved Match by the author and really enjoy her writing style but unfortunately I just could not get into it. I DNFed about 30% in.

So many of my favourite tropes done to perfection in this book, slow burn, undercover rockstars, meant to be together, ANXIETY! You love to see it

Jack and Lucy show such an instant sparks that fizzled throughout the book it had me on the edge of my seat even though I knew they'd make it because OMG they are meant to be.

The author really transports you to the surroundings of Oxford and makes it feel like home to the reader with the wonderfully imagery and scenery she creates, not only in terms of location but also with the side characters she surrounds her story with. They keep the whole story afloat and make it a really wonderful read.

With wonderful depth, humour and extra dollops of romance, Oxford Star is a treasure to read and instantly makes me want to read her whole catalogue for more of this dream book experience

The characters in this novel are well-developed and relatable. Jack's struggles with anxiety and panic attacks make him a sympathetic character, while Lucy's strength and resilience make her a character worth rooting for. The chemistry between the two is electric, and their slow-burn romance is both believable and steamy.

What makes this book stand out is the way in which it tackles serious issues such as mental health, body image, and redemption, while still delivering a fun and engaging romance. The Oxford University setting is also a refreshing change of pace from typical romance novels, and the author does an excellent job of bringing the location to life.

Jack and Lucy have some unhappy history so she is not pleased when they end up in close proximity in England. He's trying to escape his rock star life because panic attacks make the celebrity unbearable for him and his managers are exploitative. He would rather be an astronomer, so he took a break to study in Oxford. Lucy studies law and worries about her family. Her father is dead and her mother is not the most reliable sort of parent so Lucy has been the de facto family caretaker for a while now. Jack sees that she's not happy with her law studies either and encourages her to sing. This story was okay, I didn't have strong feelings about it one way or another. I liked the anxiety representation. I received a netgalley copy and this is a voluntary review.

4.5 Stars
Jack and Lucy have to be one of those couples I can honestly relate to how you feel the betrayal when you were counting on one of them to come through with something. This story isn't just a romance story but also how the main characters are always putting everyone else before them. How they will put their lives on hold or go through a path they are uncertain about to keep their loved ones content. Jack and Lucy needed each other to go through those heartbreaks and realization of the true meaning of happiness. They followed their hearts into what really mattered to them and made a point to finally put themselves first. This book was such an easy flow read. I liked how it hooked me and how I couldn't put it down. I would definitely recommend this book to my fellow readers.

This book was just fine. It had a really good premise but I feel the execution was lacking. I found myself getting bored with the characters which is never a good thing.

This was such a cute book! I am here for reluctant rock star becoming a new trope in romance books! My only complaint is that we lost the rivals to lovers element pretty early in and it didn’t really feel like there was much of an adversary in the plot. The end storyline with Cathy felt like it came out of nowhere and was there to add drama because things had been too good for our characters.

An absolutely amazing book.
I fell in love with Jack and Lucy!
Such an incredible story. Jack is a rock star taking a break from his less than ideal career. Hoping to find some normalcy in university where he will study astronomy for a bit. 
Lucy has taken care of her mom and little sister since her father passed away. After saving enough money to attend school, she leaves them to make a better life studying to get a law degree at Oxford.
These two have a past that didn't end on a particularly good note.
Don't miss out on this adorable, sweet, hot book!
5stars. I totally enjoyed this book.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review on netgalley. This book was SO fun! It was such an easy read, I rooted for the characters, and saw myself in them. I LOVED the panic attack and anxiety representation. The author put the way I feel into words and I felt so seen. Highly recommend to anyone who struggles with anxiety and/or panic disorder.

So I am not going to lie, this book wasn't for me. But not necessarily because it was a bad idea or a bad plot. It wasn't masterfully written, but it wasn't poorly written either.

Oxford Star is billed as a rock star romance comparing our lead Jack to Harry Styles. I am going to say right now, I did not get a Harry Styles vibe from Jack. More a Chris Martin, bumbling scientist turn musician, vibe. But that might be me showing my age too.

So why didn't it do it for me? It just tried to do too much in a short amount of time and as a result nothing had enough time to breath. There was an awful lot of showing and not telling. Just some of the things this book tried to do;

- fake dating
-second chance romance
-enemies to lovers
- found family
-rockstar romance
-a character with an anxiety disorder
-a character with a tragic backstory that includes a dead parent, a neglectful parent, and a younger sibling with special needs
-one character struggling with fame and being famous
-another that missed her chance but has a dream of being a singer
-contract law causing trouble
-neglectful parents
- a weird kidnapping

It was a lot and because there was so much, I didn't have a chance to get invested in any of it. There was so much telling, I didn't believe any of it and lots of plot points were resolved fair too simply and quickly. If they could have been resolved that easily, why weren't they at the beginning of the book? Where was the struggle?

Also a very small thing, but I don't like how a plus size heroine has to so obviously plus sized that every synonym for curvy is used. Lush, opulent, voluptuous, etc. Also if a character is described as being sharp tongued you have to show her using her sharp tongue.

That's not to say you won't like this book. You might like this book if you like really fast paced books that do have multiple plot points or if you like the heroines body type being of special interest and discussed. There is also no third act break up (big plus) and no miscommunication (thank the lord). I also recognize that not every one like emotional torment as I do; if you like books that feel low stakes; and by that I mean it's not dark at all. There is no torment or emotional anguish, there is no risk of ugly crying over this one on the train. If any of those things appeal to you give it a go.

I received a copy of this novel through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you netgalley and Laura Bradbury for allowing me to read this book. Honestly I felt like it was very slow for the first half of the book. Once Jack and Lucy’s relationship started progressing I did get more into the story line. I enjoyed Jack and Lucy overcoming their struggles and finally being happy with the future they chose. I do wish the author had showed more of what happened with Lucy’s career once she changed her path and the family issues she had to deal with. I liked the drama at the end but part of me felt like it was rushed and just thrown in. Lucy and Jack were cute but definitely would have liked more chemistry between them. All in all it was a cute quick read and would recommend to someone who is looking for a lighthearted romance.

Oxford Star was a good contemporary romance book that included a few tropes that I like for an example fake dating and a hint of enemies to lovers.
In Oxford Star we get to meet the main characters Lucy and Jack.
Lucy was really easy to like from the beginning since I felt like she was a strong young woman The writing and story was really good and I finished reading it in just a couple of hours because I didn't wanted to put it down.

***Thank you NetGalley for the copy of Oxford Star by Laura Bradbury***

Synopsis: Lucy is heading to Oxford to get an accelerated law degree to continue helping her family after her dads passing. While on the flight from Canada to England, shes sitting next to a man who is bundled in his hoodie so tightly she’s not sure he’s breathing. That man turned out to be her nemesis- Jack Seary. Jack not only ruined her chances of making it on a singing t.v. show but also broke her heart. Jack is currently on hiatus from his world famous band- and is also going to spend 8 weeks at Oxford studying astronomy-his true love. Much to Lucy’s dismay, the two become part of the same friend group and spend a lot of time together. Jack melts Lucy’s rough exterior and eventually the love they had is rekindled.

My Review: I really enjoyed the beginning, I had a few giggles the first couple of chapters and thought it set the story up nicely. By the time I got to the middle of the book, I got started to get bored and finishing took a while. The ending, while a cute HEA felt rushed. The last 30 or so chapters could’ve used the same amount of detail and attention that the first half of the book received. I did like Jack a lot and felt a mmc with mental health and ways he was coping was interesting as it’s so often overlooked. I felt for Lucy and her struggles, her mom was a shitty mom but tried to do better. Gary reminds me of a creepy Nickelodeon exec.

The first thing I need to mention is that I loved was the representation of anxiety and panic attack, especially in a male main character. I found Jack's disorder was very relatable and well written. At times however, I did find the story a little boring and slow, yet I found this book cute overall and am glad I had an opportunity to read it.

I think this may be one of my favorite books I’ve read recently! I am usually a dark/fantasy romance girlie. But this book had me grinning like I was a part of their skulk. I loved each character and the development they went through to get their endings was perfect!
This goes straight to the top of my recommendation pile and I can’t wait to read more from this author!

I just want to thank NetGalley, Grape Books, and the Author for allowing to read this ARC!

I really enjoyed this story. Jack and Lucy were funny, cute, and lovely. I loved how they both had things to overcome and work towards.
I really liked the side characters and cant wait to see their stories to unravel. I plan to read the first book in the series soon!

Was a great read, had good flow/speed, and just the right amount of spice.

Wow, I really loved this one! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. Both main character’s were so likable and I loved how many tropes this book has enemies to lovers, second chance Romance, fake dating. I can’t wait to read more books by Laura Bradbury!